Habitat and animal background
The future animal of the California sea lion will be the Zalophus firmus (firmus meaning fast). In future years. California will not be the stat as it once was. The san andreas fault splits the state into two, and will be the future coastline.
Reyner's Interpretation of the Zalophus firmus
If the earth's climate is as it is, than this region will share both a cool and temperate climate much like the shorelines in modern day US. Like its preadecesor, the Zalophus firmus would still migrate to warmer climates during breeding season. The area in which this sea lion lives would still feast on underwater fish and crustation. Geological features would still be much the same where the firmus lives. Water would break into rocky shores still that still linger even in those times. The firmus would still feed on fish, like its modern day preadesesor however, few changes have been made on the animal. This animal relies on speed for as its tool to catch prey and out swim predeators. Many adaptations that exist on the modern day Californian Sea lion would still exist for the Zalophus Firmus.
Environmental Pressures
The Zalophus firmus mainly focus on improving its speed throughout its evolutionary period, and with good reason. In the future, many kinds of preadators will reach speeds faster than those of modern day, such as orcas. Its prey would also evolve to try to reach faster speeds than its modern day relatives. Because of this. The modern day California Sea lion, would one day be forced to change because of the environmental pressures that exist for its prey.
Behavioural
One behavioural adaptation that still exists withe the Zalophus Firmus is the fact that they are still relatively social. Because they are social (they swim and hunt together) allows them to provide a flurry of animals by showing tens or hundreds of the animals swimming at once. Preys would than have to pick one, but the sheer number means that preadators will have a hard time picking one. Also with the sheer number of animals all swimming at one time makes it very dangerous for predators to approch the seals.
Another behavioural adaptation is the regulation of their body temprature. They can regulate their body tempratures much like the modern day counter-part by placing their backs on the surface of the water. They would also raise their fins much like the modern Californian Sea lion to absorb heat from the sun. This will allow them to live in such cool waters and with temprate conditions of the future.
Structual
Because this sea lion relies on speed to escape preadators, a notable evolutionary structual adaptation is the fact that its entire body is more streamline. The Zalophus firmus is more sleeker than its counter part giving it a decrease of water resistance for the sea lion. Its sleek design is still formed by the blubber of the seal, however, the blubber distribution is different from its modern counter part to allow a sleeker design.
Another structual adaptation is its fore flippers. Its foreflippers have a thick elongated "thumb" allowing the fin's cross section to be much like that of a tear drop. This improves the overall hydrodynamic of the sea lion's body. Furthermore, the entire fin itself, will be lenghthen to provide more thrust for the animal, to achive speeds what the modern day californian sea lion cannot.
Physiological
Like all of its ancestors, the Zalophus firmus, lives in cool waters in temprate climates. Because of this, it requires warm blood to survive. Warm blood is easily affected by outsid tempratures, allowing it to be heated quickly even in cool waters by the sun.
Future Animal (Zalophus firmus)
Habitat and animal background
The future animal of the California sea lion will be the Zalophus firmus (firmus meaning fast). In future years. California will not be the stat as it once was. The san andreas fault splits the state into two, and will be the future coastline.
Environmental Pressures
The Zalophus firmus mainly focus on improving its speed throughout its evolutionary period, and with good reason. In the future, many kinds of preadators will reach speeds faster than those of modern day, such as orcas. Its prey would also evolve to try to reach faster speeds than its modern day relatives. Because of this. The modern day California Sea lion, would one day be forced to change because of the environmental pressures that exist for its prey.
Behavioural
One behavioural adaptation that still exists withe the Zalophus Firmus is the fact that they are still relatively social. Because they are social (they swim and hunt together) allows them to provide a flurry of animals by showing tens or hundreds of the animals swimming at once. Preys would than have to pick one, but the sheer number means that preadators will have a hard time picking one. Also with the sheer number of animals all swimming at one time makes it very dangerous for predators to approch the seals.
Another behavioural adaptation is the regulation of their body temprature. They can regulate their body tempratures much like the modern day counter-part by placing their backs on the surface of the water. They would also raise their fins much like the modern Californian Sea lion to absorb heat from the sun. This will allow them to live in such cool waters and with temprate conditions of the future.
Structual
Because this sea lion relies on speed to escape preadators, a notable evolutionary structual adaptation is the fact that its entire body is more streamline. The Zalophus firmus is more sleeker than its counter part giving it a decrease of water resistance for the sea lion. Its sleek design is still formed by the blubber of the seal, however, the blubber distribution is different from its modern counter part to allow a sleeker design.
Another structual adaptation is its fore flippers. Its foreflippers have a thick elongated "thumb" allowing the fin's cross section to be much like that of a tear drop. This improves the overall hydrodynamic of the sea lion's body. Furthermore, the entire fin itself, will be lenghthen to provide more thrust for the animal, to achive speeds what the modern day californian sea lion cannot.
Physiological
Like all of its ancestors, the Zalophus firmus, lives in cool waters in temprate climates. Because of this, it requires warm blood to survive. Warm blood is easily affected by outsid tempratures, allowing it to be heated quickly even in cool waters by the sun.
"California Sea Lion." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 29 July 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Sea_Lion>.